Tuesday, April 07, 2015

ICYRaid MB662U3-2S Review - posted by PureSolidness

Easiest RAID Solution? ICY DOCK ICYRaid Review

Published on Mar 31, 2015

"The ICYRaid is a self contained hardware dual bay RAID enclosure that operates independent of your computer. Along with an easy to use control panel, setting up the device is a simple thing to do."

ICYRaid MB662U3-2S Product Page: http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=160

ICY DOCK Industries & Solutions - Create High Density Storage Array with ICY DOCK ToughArmor 2.5” HDD/SSD Mobile Racks

 
Create High Density Storage Array with ICY DOCK ToughArmor 2.5” HDD/SSD Mobile Racks
 
In the 21st century, a time where information technology is at its most abundant, a workstation such as HPZ820 allows an average IT worker to complete the most extensive task with ease. So, what is this great machine so called a “workstation” exactly? The main hardware parts of a powerful workstation should consist of a high-end central processer unit or CPU, an efficient graphic processing unit or GPU, a quality motherboard, and superfast storages/caches such as SSD/RAM. Major workstation manufacturers include Hewlett-Packard and Dell whom provide top of the line workstations in the industry.
 
Having all these “high-tech-goodies” must take up a lot of physical space right? Not necessary. Having a powerful workstation does not mean everything has to be gigantic and immobile. As technology advances, hardware becomes less chunky and easier to carry around; size is no longer a limitation. The smallest form factor computers, or mini ITX, can perform the same vigorous task just as well as a full tower computer can. Because of the improvement in technology, many essential components for a workstation such CPU, GPU, motherboard, power supply, and HDD/SSD storage were designed with a smaller footprint.
 
Considering all the upgrades in a workstation, the most noteworthy part of the next era technology is the physical size reduction of a HDD and the adaptation of HDD to SSD. Because the nature of SSD, it provides a huge boost in the read/write speed compared to the traditional hard drive which uses a platter. As a result, this transformation led to increased popularity in 2.5” form factor, and because having a smaller physical foot print, it allows more drives to be stored in the same physical storage versus 3.5” drives. These great benefits contributed to a smooth and rapid 2.5” form factor adaption.
 
As newer applications require faster speeds for computing tasks, having more than one drive and configuring them into different setups becomes more common. But what can we do to squeeze more than one drive in a workstation where the front panel space can be limited?
 
ICY DOCK offers storage solutions that relieve these limitations. By using the ToughArmor Series, we can maximize the potential of a 5.25” hot swappable bay with various RAID configurations. With up to 8 bays in a single 5.25” frontal bay, the possibilities are endless; space is not a compromise anymore! On top of all that, because the drives are located at the front of workstation, the maintenance is hassle-free! Drives can be swap in and out effortlessly. It is most useful in a work station, where tremendous stress is usually put onto the drives and frequent maintenance is a requirement. This feature will ultimately reduce any downtime that may occur during a drive failure; in the other word, it may reduce thousands of dollars or even, millions! In addition, your important data inside of an ICY DOCK’s all-metal tray can be transported safely to your home even though your workstation is at your office. These great features truly make ICY DOCK products one of a kind!
 
 
We have carefully picked the three types of RAID that we believe would work best for work efficiency and data protection.
 
RAID 0
 
RAID 0 is recommended for a workstation if your CPU can handle most of your current tasks. Having a RAID 0 configured in your system allows increased performance in read/write speed. RAID 0 improves processing speed when rendering large files as opposed to numerous small random accesses files. In combination with RAID 0, one can also utilize the benefit of Thunderbolt  I or Thunderbolt  II’s transfer speed to maximize the capability of the RAID 0 set with SSDs.  An application such as digital audio/video editing/recording is an ideal candidate.
 
RAID 1
 
By using RAID 1, there’s data redundancy which can prevent data loss if one of the hard drive fails. A failed drive can be replaced with a hot spare or a new blank drive to recreate the RAID table. RAID 1 mode will use only 50% of the total combined hard drive capacity and requires two hard drives in a RAID configuration. It does not increase performance but it does provide a layer of security for your important data. It is always a good practice to keep a copy of the data somewhere else other than in a RAID set in case if the RAID set fails. An example such as a server hosting high volume transaction based applications with RAID 1 implanted will be an ideal solution.
 
RAID 10
 
This method combines both RAID 1 and RAID 0 in a cascade. It provides protection and speed and uses only 50% of the total hard drives. It provides the most economical and secured way among the three RAID modes introduced. It supports the speed required for data processing and the tolerance for a faulty drive. It is a great choice for anyone who wishes to have an extra layer of security yet does not compensate for any loss in performance. An application such as heavy data bases, which require high speed read/write performance.
 
We have only selected these three RAID modes base on the most common usage of a workstation. However, with our high density, space efficient designs, such as MB996SP-6SB or MB998SP-B, various RAID mode combinations are possible and it is up to you imagination to create the your one of a kind workstation!
Having said all that, what exactly makes ICY DOCK’s ToughArmor so special? Since 1992, ICY DOCK has specialized in computer storage peripherals focused on build quality and user experience. The ToughArmor Series is truly a masterpiece made with all-metal design and provides hassle-free experience during installation and operation. Many tier-one companies such as GE, HP, Google, and Intel have integrated these products into their medical, military and audio/video editing ISV-certified high end workstations. They didn’t choose ICY DOCK out of coincidence but because of our reliability. We completely stand by our products, which is why ICY DOCK proudly offers three years warranty to its entire product line.
 
 
ICY DOCK USA

11740 Clark St.
Arcadia, CA 91006
Tel: 626.956.8800
Fax: 626.956.8811
 

Thursday, April 02, 2015

ICY DOCK LOYAL CUSTOMER GIVEAWAY (04/01/2015 to 04/30/2015)

Untitled Document

Wednesday, April 01, 2015

Introducing the ICY DOCK ICYCube MB561U3S-4SB 4 Bay USB 3.0 & eSATA(PM) Hot Swap 2.5"/3.5" SATA HDD/SSD External Enclosure - Black





Introducing the ICYCube MB561U3S-4SB 4-Bay external 2.5” & 3.5” HDD enclosure with SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and eSATA interface. The MB561U3S-4SB is designed for those in need of large data storage with a small footprint and supreme build quality. The USB 3.0 interface allows you to access up to four drives at up to 5Gbps and is backward compatible with USB 2.0. The eSATA interface delivers fast SATA III speed, supports eSATA port-multiplier function and is compatible with most of RAID controller card with eSATA port-multiplier interface. The 4 bay capacities give you enough room to optimize your data storage system with efficiency.

The ICYCube MB561U3S-4SB supports both 2.5” and 3.5” SATA SSD/HDD with our new EZ-Tray design, allowing you to mix your 2.5” and 3.5” HDD within a single enclosure to save desktop space, power consumption and cost. The detachable 80mm cooling fan provides excellent cooling to the drives, and the 3 speed fan switch gives you full control over noise and temperature. The built-in power supply removes any requirement for an overly large power brick which helps you save space.

The ICYCube MB561U3S-4SB is a quad bay USB 3.0 enclosure with fully loaded functions and eye-catching design. It is perfect for media professionals, and people who need a high quality HDD enclosure for their storage needs.
Multiple Interfaces with Great Capacity
Having multiple drives conveniently placed into a single enclosure can provide many benefits such as the ability to transfer files between drives, backing up all your precious files or storing/organizing large archives. More importantly, doing this saves you big bucks from buying additional enclosures, gives you more desktop space and saves energy. The ICYCube offers both USB 3.0 and eSATA interface. USB 3.0 interface allows you to access four drives with up to 5Gbps transfer speed, and is backward compatible with USB 2.0, the most common interface for many things, which makes ICYCube a perfect HDD enclosure for various applications such as: media archives, network attached storage, external server storage, IT data transfer tool and more. With USB 3.0 interface, you’ll have blazing fast transfer speeds for applications such as data backup from your system to your external enclosure which can save you time.
The eSATA interface delivers fast SATA III speeds up to 6Gbps, and allows you to access four drives via a single eSATA connection (eSATA port multiplier required). It is compatible with most of RAID controller card that has eSATA port-multiplier interface, which gives you an option to setup a hardware RAID externally, perfect for system that has limited space. This tiny enclosure can take up to 24TB total capacity with largest capacity drives available on the market (6 TB), which is more than enough space for most of the applications.

The New EZ-Tray Takes It All

The new EZ-Trays provide the best compatibility for both 2.5” SATA HDD/SSD and 3.5” SATA HDD at all heights, ranging from lighting fast 2.5” SATA III SSD to 3.5” SATA 6TB HDD. The drive installation is simple: place the drive in the tray aligning the screws holes, screw in the provided screws, and you’re set! If you have more than four drives, additional trays can always be purchased. In addition to that, you can quickly swap out drive via hot swappable bays so you aren’t required to shut down your computer or the ICYCube, saving you valuable time. (Note: the USB host will refresh while swapping drive via USB. The remaining drive(s) will cycle during this process)
Better Cooling for Better Performance

Our ICYCube was designed from the ground up with intentions of fulfilling the demand of our customer base, so we packed it full of awesome features. It features an 80mm detachable fan for easy maintenance. Simply remove the fan unit, use a dust blower or a damp towel to wipe off the blades, and snap it back in; it can’t get any easier to clean. We’ve included a fan speed switch that allows you to select between a whisper-quiet low, a rapid cooling high, and an auto setting based on Smart Cooling Technology. The Smart Cooling Technology determines the temperature of your drives, and changes fan’s RPM accordingly to keep your drives nice and cool.
The Classic Remains a Classic

To define the ICYCube MB561U3-4SB as “beautiful” would be an understatement. Crafted from Hi-Grade aluminum with two different available color schemes, the ICYCube sports a matte coat with a hint of glittery shine similar to that of Apple’s Macbook series. The front panel displays its fine glossy coat contrasting the outer housing in a unique blend. Our ICYDOCK logo is displayed on both sides so you can be assured that your product is an ICY DOCK –known for reliability and built tough. The low profile white LED indicator light indicates activity of each hard drive. This allows you to know which drives are currently being accessed or whether they’re sitting idly waiting for activity. We’ve used a moderately illuminating white LED for the indicator light so it shines just bright enough that you can be notified of activity, but not so bright where it’s distracting. Also the ICYCube MB561U3-4SB uses a built in power supply to keep all major components within the unit so there’s no need for clunky power bricks to occupy any space on your desk, so you can keep your work space nice and neat.
Lastly, ICY DOCK has a 3 year warranty which gives you the peace of mind to feel confident for years to come.
Drive Tray
 
EZ-Tray MB559TRAY-2B 2.5"/3.5" HDD/SSD Tray for ICYBento MB559 & ICYCube MB561 Series - Black

Interchangeable Tray Model:
Key Features

* Plug and play installation, no drivers required
* SuperSpeed USB 3.0 with up to 5Gbps transfer speed
* Backward compatible with USB 2.0 interface
* eSATA connection with up to 6Gbps transfer speed (port-multiplier required)
* New EZ-Tray system supporting both 2.5” and 3.5” SATA HDD/SSD of all heights
* Adjustable cooling fan with 3 speed settings (low, high, and auto)
* Support largest capacity drives available on the market (6 TB)
* Removable EZ-Tray design allows you to quickly swap out drives
* Moderately illuminating white LED for power & drive activities
* High grade aluminum alloy frame with detailed matte finish
* Include 4x EZ-Trays which features shock absorbing technology to help protect your drives
* Detachable 80mm ball bearing rear cooling fan provides easy maintenance
* Integrated power supply, so big power bricks aren’t necessary
* Rubber padded soles for enhanced stability

Quick links:

MB561U3S-4SB Product Page

MB561U3S-4SB Product images
MB561U3S-4SB Datasheet

ICY DOCK

Tel: 626.956.8800
Fax: 626.956.8811
11740 Clark St.
Arcadia, California 91006
Sales e-mail: sales01@cremax.com
Support e-mail: tech@icydock.com